Glider oscillating on rollers



A. L. KOTLER Oct. 31, 1967 GLIDER OSCILLATING ON ROLLERS .F'il-ed July25, 1966 ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,350,134 GLIDER OSCILLATING ONROLLERS Aaron L. Kotler, Glencoe, Il1., assignor to The GoshenManufacturing Co., Inc., Goshen, Ind., a corporation of Indiana FiledJuly 25, 1966, Ser. No. 567,635 1 Claim. (Cl. 297-246) ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE On the lower portion of a glide settee there is providedfirst bracket plates having downwardly-facing concave rims projectingtransversely inwardly therefrom, and mounted on the settee base belowsaid first bracket plates and spaced laterally relative thereto aresecond bracket plates having upwardly-facing concave rims projectingtransversely outwardly therefrom, said oppositelycurved rims beingvertically aligned and forming sockets within which rollers are carriedto permit back and forth gliding movement of the settee, said rollersbeing carried between said laterally spaced bracket plates to preventthe inadvertent dislodgement of said rollers.

This invention relates to improvements in outdoor fumiture, and moreparticularly to a new and improved glidesettee.

A so-called glide-settee is a dual-seat furniture piece for use on lawnsor porches which is designed to travel backwardly and forwardly on avirtually level plane, in contrast to conventional swing seats whichswing upwardly and downwardly as they travel back and forth.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a newroller-type support structure for glide-settees which is simpler andmore economical in design than the complex rocker-type supportassemblies heretofore employed, while still providing a smooth,substantially level gliding motion.

Further objects of the present invention are to provide a novelglide-settee structure which is rugged and durable in construction,which is quiet in operation, which is light weight, and which isreliable and dependable in use.

With the above and other objects in view, which other objects andadvantages of the present invention will become apparent hereinafter,the invention comprises the new and improved glide-settee shown anddescribed herein, and all equivalents thereof.

In the accompanying drawing, illustrating one preferred embodiment ofthe invention, and wherein the same reference numerals designate thesame or similar parts in all of the views:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a glide-settee with the novel supportassembly featured in the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of the movablesupport assembly, taken along line 22 of FIG. 1, a portion thereof beingbroken away and shown in section; and

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view similar to FIG. 2 showing the movablesupport assembly when the seat frame is shifted from its normal,centered position.

Referring now more particularly to FIG. 1 of the drawing, the numeralsand 11 designate the two, facing seats incorporated in the presentglide-settee structure, each of said seats preferably being designed toaccommodate two or more persons. Said seats 10, 11 are formed of aplurality of closely-spaced slats 12 supported between side members 13and contoured upright back elements 14, and include spaced pairs ofcurved, unitary arm and leg members 16 which are supported on elongatedparallel horizontal frame elements 17 and 18. Spanning said frameelements intermediate the length thereof are floor boards 19 upon whicha persons feet rest when seated on the settee.

In the illustrated glide-settee, a canopy 21 is supported above theseats 10, 11 by means of posts 22 extending upwardly from the backs ofsaid seats. It is to be understood, however, that this is not a criticalfeature and the invention is not to be limited in this respect.

Glide-settees of the type herein concerned are so designed that they maybe propelled backwardly and forwardly on a substantially level planethrough slight movement exerted by a person or persons seated thereon,thus providing a soothing and restful motion. Unfortunately, inconventional glide-settees relatively complicated movable, ellipticalrockers and supporting frames are utilized to permit back-and-forthgliding movement of the seat frame, which prior movable supportassemblies are relatively expensive and add to the manufacturing cost ofthe settee.

In accordance with the present invention, and with reference now toFIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, it will be seen that bolted or otherwisesecured on the inner faces of the lower, parallel frame elements 17, 18,beneath each of the seats 10, 11, are bracket plates 23, each of whichplates has an elongated, downwardly-facing concave rim 24 projectingtransversely inwardly therefrom, said rim curving downwardly from a highpoint intermediate the length thereof and having downturned end portionsterminating at the lower edge of said bracket plate (FIG. 2). There aretwo pairs of said plates 23 mounted in opposed relationship on the lowerframe elements 17, 18, and spanning said frame elements between each ofsaid pairs of bracket plates are cross bars 25 which add strength andrigidity to the frame. Decorative scroll work or the like is ordinarilycarried between the seat side members 13 and the lower frame elements17, 18, but has not been shown in the drawing in order to permit aclearer view of the novel movable supporting assembly characterizing thepresent invention.

The elongated, parallel frame elements 17, 18 in thepresent inventionare supported on a unitary base member 26 formed of tubular or rod stockwhich is secured to and extends downwardly at an angle from theintermediate section of the frame to form a supporting base having itsside portions aligned below said elongated frame elements (FIG. 1).Secured to said tubular base and positioned immediately below each ofthe plates 23 on said frame elements 17 and 18 are bracket plates 27,and projecting from the outer faces of said lower plates areupwardly-facing concave rims 29 having upturned ends, as shown. Thusthere is provided vertically-spaced and oppositely-facing pairs of rims24, 29, the function of which will now be seen.

As best appears in FIGS. 2 and 3, a wheel or roller 31 is carried withineach of the pairs of opposed rims 24, 29, said rims forming cages orsockets with the rollers resting on said lower rims 29 (FIG. 2) and theoppositely-curved upper rims 24 bearing on the upper portions of saidrollers 31. Said rollers are preferably formed of solid rubber in orderto promote quietness, as well as to provide rollers which are durableand longlasting, but the invention is not to be limited in this respect.Axles 32 connect the wheels or rollers 31 on the opposite sides of thesettee, said axles being designed to turn with said rollers and ensuringthey will roll conjointly during the backward and forward travel of saidglide-settee. When the settee is in its normal, at-rest position, asshown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the rollers 31 will seek the lowermost point onthe concave lower rims 29 on which they ride, and the oppositely-curvedupper rims 24 which support the seat frame will center themselves onsaid rollers, as illustrated.

When it is desired to move the glide-settee comprising the presentinvention backwardly and forwardly, slight foot pressure on the floorboards by a person seated on said settee will cause the seat-supportingframe elements 17, 18 to ride in the desired direction over the tops ofthe rollers 31 while said rollers simultaneously roll in the samedirection on the bottom rim members 29 mounted on the stationary baseelement 26. The seat frame will continue its travel in said directionuntil the rollers 31 reach the ends of the concave rims, at which pointthe curved nature of said roller rims causes said rollers to reverse andbegin rolling in the opposite direction. Slight motion by the rider plusthe momentum of the seat frame will carry said frame past the centerposition to the opposite ends of the rims, where the travel direction ofthe rollers is again reversed, thus continuing the back and forthgliding movement of the settee. The travel distance of said settee ineach direction is determined by the length of the rim members 24, 29, ofcourse, and the curved nature of said rims functions to gently slow themovement of said settee before it reverses direction, thus promoting thesmooth, restful gliding action of said settee.

One of the novel and important features of the present structure is thatas the rollers 31 travel upwardly and downwardly on the curved lowerrims 29 the reversely-curved upper, frame-supporting rims 24 impartopposite vertical movement as they simultaneously ride on the tops ofsaid rollers, thus compensating for the slight upward and downwardmovement of said rollers and providing substantially level glidingaction. To accomplish this function it is essential that saidoppositelyfacing curved rims 24, 29 are formed on the arcs of curves ofapproximately the same radii, of course.

From the foregoing detailed description it will be seen that the presentinvention provides an improved and simplified glide-settee supportassembly which has several important advantages over the complex rockerstructures heretofore used. Principally, the simplified design of thepresent unit provides a structure which is relatively inexpensive tomanufacture. Moreover, said unit is dependable and long-lasting, and itis relatively quiet in operation.

It is to be understood, of course, that numerous variations ormodifications in the illustrated structure are possible and it isintended to cover herein not only the structure hereinabove describedbut also any and all modifications or variations thereof as may comewithin the spirit of said invention, and within the scope of thefollowing claim.

What I claim is:

A glide settee having a pair of longitudinally-movable elongatedparallel horizontal frame elements carrying oppositely-facing seats, astationary base member below said frame elements, roller assemblybetween said base and frame elements, said assembly comprising: firstbracket plates mounted on the inner faces of said horizontal frameelements, each of said bracket plates having a downwardly-facing concaverim projecting transversely inwardly therefrom; second bracket platesmounted on said base member below said first bracket plates and spacedlaterally-inwardly therefrom, each of said second bracket plates havingan upwardly-facing concave rim projecting transversely outwardlytherefrom, the oppositely-curved rims on said first and second bracketplates being formed on arcs of curves of substantially the same radiiand being vertically aligned so that said spaced plates and said alignedrims form roller sockets; and a roller movably carried in each of saidsockets with said roller riding on the lower rim and the upper rimbearing on the top of said roller to permit back and forth glidingmovement of the settee, said rollers having smooth peripheral surfaces,and said rollers being connected in pairs by axles and being movablysandwiched in spaced relationship between said laterally-spaced bracketplates to prevent their inadvertent dislodgement.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 742,932 11/ 1903 Tuttle 2872461,366,625 1/1921 Zoulek 297246 1,43 8,817 12/ 1922 Fishburne 297--2461,956,772 5/ 1934 Morton 297-246 2,567,612 9/ 1951 McGehee 51292,627,895 2/1953 Lussier 297-246 2,959,210 11/1960 Pearlstine 297-344FRANCIS K. ZUGEL, Primary Examiner.

